My breaths came out in ragged gasps. The craving was growing even more intense. I gritted my teeth, trying to push the sensation away�trying to stop myself from losing control again. My saliva felt thick as caramel in my mouth. I nearly gagged when I tried to swallow, so I just decided to let my drool leak down the side of my face.
Damn, I thought. I need it. Oh God, I need it. Pain shot through my skull. I felt myself tremble violently beneath my blankets. Every night it was the same. Every night it would happen. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn�t deny the thirst. I had to feed.
Of course I�d try to calm down. No matter how much I loved indulging in the taste of thick human blood, deep down, I didn�t want to. I would attempt to say what I felt. �You don�t want this, Rakikai.� I tried to say it. �You�re hurting the ones that care about you; the ones you love.� Yes, I would try, but every time, I would fail. The thirst would take over, and I would be left helplessly watching myself attack.
I staggered to my feet, shaking like a jackhammer. Streams of thick slobber dripped down onto the floor, forming small, slimy puddles. I gagged on a chunk of spit, and nearly fell down, but I managed to keep my balance.
You know what you want. You know how to get it. What are you waiting for? I could hear my dark conscience whispering in the back of my mind. Satisfy yourself. Cure yourself of this blasted hunger.
�No,� I insisted. �S�Sunuru, she�d��
Forget about her! She doesn�t matter now!
�She�ll always matter. She loves me.�
Fine. You don�t need to kill your prey. Just take a sip. One little sip, Rakikai. That�s all it takes.
I could sense myself giving in. �One sip. That�s all...� I repeated. Like a resurrected zombie, I stumbled out the door, and into the hall.
Who is your victim? Who is tonight�s midnight snack? A content smirk passed over my face. Oh, it felt so good... being the predator. Dark Necrofear, perhaps? She�d be fun. She�d scream. No, her blood isn�t pure enough. Malik�s? His is quite sweet, but it isn�t thick. I like it when it�s thick. I licked my lips. I have it. I know exactly who I want.
I crept forward, barely making a sound as I approached Ryou�s room. I cackled softly while I entered the bedroom, and stepped up to my host�s bed.
�Don�t worry, hikari,� I hissed. �This�ll only hurt a bit...�
�What will, Rakikai?�
I turned around to see Ashuri standing in the doorway. I snarled in annoyance. A string of slaver dripped onto the carpet. �What the hell are you doing here?�
�You go first,� Ashuri shot back, glare cutting into me like one of my own knives. �Well? Let�s have it.�
I just growled back. He didn�t need a reply.
�I see. You�re not in a talkative mood.� His tone was really getting on my nerves. I could see a puddle forming at my feet. �Oh well, it�s not like I can�t figure it out on my own. You�re hungry again, aren�t you?� I bared my teeth. �Oh, I knew it.�
�Shut up,� I snapped.
�Ah, now I see. You�re hungry, and mad.�
I glanced back at Ryou. He stirred, but didn�t awaken. If I got too angry, I�d wake him up, and that was the exact opposite of what I wanted. Just stay calm, I told myself. Don�t let your temper get the best of you, and keep this idiot quiet. Then you�ll be fine.
�You don�t need to be here,� I rumbled. �Get out and you�ll wake up in the morning with your head attached.�
Ashuri didn�t budge. �I won�t just let you hurt him. I won�t, Rakikai.�
I could feel my rage building up. I wouldn�t be able to control myself much longer. �I�ll say it again: this doesn�t concern you, Ashuri. Leave now.�
�And I�ll say this again: Not unless you go first. I�d never trust you alone with Ryou when you�re in this state.�
I had enough. I was done with mercy. �Get out.� I unsheathed my knife. �Or I�ll kill you. I swear to God, I�ll kill you.�
Suddenly, two leathery black wings burst out of Ashuri�s back. �Sorry, but I�m not a mosquito, Rakikai.� And he lunged toward me, slamming me against the wall. I hit with a loud, �Ooph!�
Ryou instantly awoke. He turned to Ashuri, brown eyes filled with terror. �W�what in heaven�s name?� he whimpered. �Is this a dream? Oh dear. Oh dear...�
�Get out!� the winged demon cried. �Run, Ryou! Get out of here now!�
My host didn�t hesitate in doing so. With all the energy he could muster, he bolted out the door. New anger flowed through my veins. My food. He chased away my food... �Ashuri,� I shrieked, �I�ll kill you, Ashuri! I�ll kill you, damn it!� I pulled my knife from its sheath, and thrust it into his wing with all of my strength. Blood gushed from the wound.
Screaming in pain, he struggled to squirm away from me, but I wouldn�t let him get away. Not after he made my dinner flee. I pulled more knives from my belt, stabbing and gashing Ashuri in an intense fury. Over and over, I whispered, �I�ll kill you. I will�� along with a large variety of curses.
After a long stretch of attacks, I only had one dagger left. This is it, I thought. I�ll finish him now. I�ll make him pay. Noisily heaving air in and out, I pushed my enemy to the ground, pinning him down. Unable to move, he shut his eyes tightly, preparing for the worst.
�Got you,� I breathed.
�R�Rakikai,� Ashuri murmured.
�You could have run away, but you chose to interfere. You chose wrong, my friend. Now I�m angry, and since you took away my food, I�ll be forced to take you as a substitute.� I bent down toward his right shoulder blade; chin a few inches above the clavicle. I snickered under my breath, and ran my tongue along his neck. �I can feel the blood coursing through your veins,� I said. �So warm� so beautiful��
�No, please!�
�I need it,� I ranted on. �You can�t stop me from satisfying myself! You can�t stop me!� With that, I took my first bite, sucking the blood from Ashuri like a toddler drinks down his chocolate milk. It felt so good�so relieving.
�Rakikai,� Ashuri squeaked. �This isn�t you. Please, you have to come to your senses!�
I stopped, and lifted my head. He�s right, I realized. I can�t do this. This man is one of my best friends. How could I possibly�? My reason ceased. But it�s too delicious to deny, Rakikai. It feels too wonderful. I winced at my own thoughts. You said it yourself: �I need it�. If you need it, you have to get it; no matter what.
I felt my saliva thickening again. I bent down lower, ready to take another sip.
�No! Stop!� Ashuri cried. �You�re my best friend, Rakikai. Fight it! This isn�t what you want!�
He�s right.
�You know this is wrong. You act like an animal when you�re like this.�
�I�m not an animal,� I protested wearily.
�Prove it to me. Show me you have power over yourself.�
I rose up, sitting on my knees now.
�That�s right. That�s my boy.�
The craving melted away. I slid off of Ashuri, and collapsed onto the floor. �It�s over, Ashuri,� I mumbled. �I�m sorry.�
My eyes grew heavy. Under normal circumstances, I�d be able to go against the feeling, but I was tired from battling myself. The last sight I saw was Ashuri�s mouth curve into a thankful smile before I fell into a blissful slumber.